Comments on: Now how do we address global ethical issues?

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:57:25 +0000

Thanks Elizabeth.

The only the thing that has stayed consistent about this website is the quote from The Empty Space at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. We can’t blame the clay if it isn’t used to good effect. Shakespeare, Brecht, Boal, off the top of my head all managed to impact the politic zeitgeist of their societies with theatre. If we’re bad at it we should just get better at it. It’s not impossible.

For more context on the Informing Content workshop you should totally check out this post by workshop leader Deborah Pearson:

http://theafricatrilogy.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/informing-content/

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:27:11 +0000

Thank you for this. I’ve been thinking about this in relation to the U.S., where I live. The scope of what our government has done and is doing w/r/t prosecuting “the war of Terror,” and of course, the response to the G20 in Seattle have left me with a huge sense of shame and outrage and impatient with theater that claims to be political or to address global themes.

I would love to read more about your experience with the workshop. There is a huge need for this kind of action.

By: Michael Wheeler

Michael Wheeler — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:05:09 +0000

I wrote this piece several weeks ago. Looking back now, it doesn’t address the fact that the workshop was fairly amazing. I have to admit I was skeptical when I heard the idea, imagining one group after another emerging on The George Ignatieff stage to expose the brutality of global injustice through a series of scenes filled with pathos.

This was totally not the case. The “choose your own adventure” immersive nature of the site-specific pieces was really effective and this level of interactivity lest itself to to a much greater connection to the work. The whole team should feel pretty good about a surprisingly effective evening of socially relevant theatre. I hope it becomes a regular annual thing.